“Is that what you believed when you were young?” Flora asked.
“Yes funnily enough it was,” the Marquis admitted.
“And that was why later you wanted to go exploring when you grew up.” Flora remarked.
“I think really,” he replied, “that it was a desire to get away from everything that made me unhappy, and also to see for myself the world outside my own estate.”
Flora laughed.
“You certainly succeeded,” she said. “Who could imagine that you could travel to so many exciting places which I have only read about in Papa’s books.”
“One day perhaps you will visit them yourself,” the Marquis suggested.
Flora gave a sigh.
“I do hope so, but I expect it will just be in my dreams.”
The Marquis thought that was what he would like to be sure of dreaming tonight. Instead of which he forced his th
